Brown Living, India’s leading platform for promoting sustainable and plastic-free living, has raised a round of pre-seed funding to supercharge its growth and make sustainable living the default choice for millions of Indian consumers. The round was led by Blink Digital, along with investments from Sanjay Nayar, Founder and Chairman of Sorin Investments, and investor Bharat Iyer.
The fresh capital injection is set to accelerate Brown Living’s mission to make sustainable living a mainstream choice for Indian consumers. The funds will also fuel the platform’s growth in supporting India’s artisan and SME sectors, playing a crucial role in the fight against plastic pollution and chemically laden products.
Since its inception in 2019, Brown Living has also onboarded Bollywood producer and environmentalist Pragya Kapoor as a partner & investor, whose investment value has grown more than 350%. The brand has also seen a phenomenal YOY growth of 500% since its first round of funding in June 2021.
With 650 sellers and 1800+ artisans at present, the new round of investment will enable the platform to scale and provide market access to many more artisans and suppliers. As an ecosystem that brings them together in the sustainable living value chain, Brown Living is creating a measurable impact by tracking sustainability metrics, ensuring transparency, and building trust in the marketplace for artisans, suppliers, consumers and investors.
Chaitsi Ahuja, Founder & CEO of Brown Living, shared her excitement: “This funding will enable us to scale our efforts to reach our next million customers and expand our Artisan-to-Consumer (A2C) model. Our platform empowers consumers to choose eco-friendly products while supporting small businesses and we’re excited to deepen our partnerships with artisan communities and help them go digital and make sustainable living mainstream.”
Brown Living is now building on its unique A2C model that connects artisans directly with eco-conscious consumers, offering transparent and fair pricing. The platform’s tech-driven infrastructure ensures scalability without compromising values, giving small businesses a stage to thrive while championing sustainability.
Dooj Ramchandani, Co-founder of Blink Digital and lead investor in the funding round, highlighted the potential of Brown Living’s unique model: “What sets Brown Living apart in the startup and D2C space is their deep-rooted connection with India’s artisans and SMEs. They’ve created a direct line between these creators and the conscious consumer, delivering authenticity and transparency. Their unique A2C (Artisan-to-Consumer) model will allow Brown Living to directly engage with consumers while giving artisans access to fair pricing and a global stage for their eco-friendly, sustainable products. This will build trust and exponentially accelerate the market for sustainable living.”
Sanjay Nayar, key investor and Founder of Sorin Investments, added, “Brown Living’s platform has the potential to scale impact across India. Their mission-driven approach, combined with strong tech infrastructure, positions them to lead the shift toward sustainable living at a national level.”
According to a recent Bain & Co. study, over 67% of Indian consumers are willing to pay a premium for locally made, eco-friendly products. With the sustainable goods market expected to exceed $50 billion by 2030, Brown Living is set to be at the forefront of this movement.
Investor Pragya Kapoor, an environmental advocate, remarked, “I’m thrilled to see Brown Living grow and bring more conscious consumers into the fold. It is no longer just a marketplace; it is surging forward to building an ecosystem that brings together all stakeholders in the sustainable living value chain. This round of funding will help them provide artisans and SMEs with the tools they need to scale and bring sustainable products to the masses.”
Brown Living has also benefited from accelerator programs such as Google For Startups Accelerator India Women Founders Program, the Stanford Seed Spark Program and AWE Tech Spark supported by The U.S. Consulate General Mumbai, which have helped the company build a robust technical stack to support its growth and expand its reach.
About Brown Living:
Brown Living is India’s largest marketplace for sustainable and plastic-free products, offering a curated selection of eco-friendly goods across fashion, home decor, lifestyle, and more. Committed to reducing plastic waste, Brown Living ensures biodegradable packaging, carbon-neutral deliveries, and a marketplace that empowers both artisans and consumers to make more mindful choices. Their vision is to make environmentally sustainable products easily accessible and affordable to the consumers of today. They have set an ambitious mission to plant & maintain a million trees by 2027 and to support 100,000 artisans by enabling them and digitising them through the A2C platform.
